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Dissertation Information for Mildred Lowe

NAME:
- Mildred Lowe

DEGREE:
- Ph.D.

DISCIPLINE:
- Library and Information Science

SCHOOL:
- Columbia University (USA) (1972)

ADVISORS:
- Oliver L. Lilley

COMMITTEE MEMBERS:
- None

MPACT Status: Incomplete - Ambiguous

Title: GOVERNMENT PUBLICATIONS AND PAMPHLETS IN THE COMMUNITY COLLEGES OF NEW YORK STATE

Abstract: Professional and bibliographic guidelines for the administration of such

peripheral materials collections as government publications and pamphlets are as

yet relatively undeveloped. It was decided, therefore, that the characteristics

of individual librarians responsible for these materials would exercise

significant influence on library practices. This study was conducted to gather

information concerning the characteristics of librarians working with the

government publications and pamphlets collections in the libraries of the public

two-year colleges of New York state; to gather information about their library

practices; and then to discover through the application of statistical tests

(the Mann-Whitney U Test) what relationships existed between specific

characteristics and specific library practices.

Through the use of a questionnaire and the examination of pertinent documents it

was found that community college librarians in New York State hold mater's

degrees in library science and other subject areas, and in many cases additional

graduate degrees. Their undergraduate orientation is primarily non-technical and

non-scientific. Most have had some experience with government publications and

pamphlets in library school courses, and very little in continuing education

programs. They have had library experience in other institutions and are

generally active in campus affairs.


The outstanding characteristics of the administration of the collections are

their variety and their emphasis on the liberal arts and social sciences.

Libraries collect from as few as 100 items per year to as many as 5000. A wide

variety of selection tools are used ranging from the comprehensive Monthly

Catalog to the selective Price lists. Many librarians rely heavily on faculty

and student requests while at the same time pointing out that neither group is

especially well informed about the materials.

Few of the libraries follow regular patterns of acquisitions. Promotion of the

materials is similarly irregular. Most libraries provide access to their

collections through subject headings lists and cross reference cards in the main

catalog. Finally, the materials are used mostly by liberal arts and social

science students.

Application of the Mann-Whitney U Test to the statistical data showed that there

were positive relationships between:

(a) Librarians' non-humanities undergraduate backgrounds and the volume of

materials selected each year;

(b) Librarians' graduate library school preparation and promotion, selection,

cataloging and classifications, and acquisitions;

(c) Librarians' continuing education experience and promotion, cataloging and

classification, and acquisitions; and

(d) Librarian's campus activity related to curricula and materials and the

volume of materials selected each year. There was also a fair amount of

consistency between the librarians' characteristics and the variety of practices

associated with each one, as well as among the practices within each library.

The most important influences on practices were by factors which cut across

institutional lines (library school and formal continuing education) rather than

by undergraduate backgrounds, on-campus activities, years of experience, and on

-the-job training.

Though many library school courses already provide some coverage of government

publications and pamphlets, there needs to be more stress on their relevance to

the unique circular functions of junior colleges. This would perhaps lead to

improved service to the neglected segments of the community college population:

vocational and technical students and faculty and administrators.

Library schools need to provide continuing education opportunities to working

librarians in materials related to junior colleges.

The feasibility of a regularly updated government publications and pamphlets

tool with curricular and reading level clues should be investigated. The

assignment of "in source" subject headings to the materials would improve

access. Finally, there is evidence to suggest that the pooling and dissemination

of government information to community college libraries by regional depository

libraries would be a valuable service.


MPACT Scores for Mildred Lowe

A = 0
C = 0
A+C = 0
T = 0
G = 0
W = 0
TD = 0
TA = 0
calculated 2008-01-31 06:01:43

Advisors and Advisees Graph

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Students under Mildred Lowe

ADVISEES:
- None

COMMITTEESHIPS:
- None